Why do people get offended when you say Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays?

I respect others beliefs by sharing mine if it offends them then obviously they do not respect mine so deserve getting offended.

Not all People celebrate Christmas there are Jewish people too. I still see where you are coming fr though haha I hoped this helped

I don't see a problem at all with saying merry Christmas. I'm not religious, but it is a part of our culture.

because not everybody celebrates Christmas.

They are nasty people. Well said. Merry Christmas.

Because they are a55holes who expect you to follow their believes and wishes, but have no respect for yours.

I say Merry Christmas all the time, if people don't like it they will have to get over it.

It's over-the-top political correctness at its worst, I'm afraid. People say" don't say Merry Christmas because it's not fair on other religions" - how is it unfair, exactly? Christmas is celebrated nationwide in countries where the dominant religion is Christianity (just as Muslim holidays are celebrated in Muslim countries, etc), and the only reason we get a holiday at that time is because of Christmas so what's wrong with acknowledging that fact? If people of other religions choose to celebrate Christmas in a secular fashion and have the Christmas tree etc, then good for them I've nothing against that, but let's call a spade a spade - you're partaking in a Christmas tradition, so call it a Christmas tradition and not a "Holiday" tradition. Silly people.

Let me start by saying that I think Christmas is a lovely holiday. Even though I am Jewish and therefore do not celebrate it, I really do appreciate Christmas decorations, classic carols and the occasional swig of eggnog. And I want all people who celebrate Christmas to have a great one...so long as they acknowledge that not everybody is like them. Obviously, you have grown up being in the majority of people in this country who celebrate Christmas (and that's nice for you!), so you probably don't understand what it's like to be in the minority. I will tell you now that it can be very difficult at times. To explain why saying "Merry Christmas" to somebody you don't know can be an awkward or upsetting thing, allow me to analyze some of the points you make: But firstly, before we get into the "Merry Christmas" issue, let's address one last thing. You say: "Who are you to try and shove your holiday down my throat? I celebrate Christmas and you can celebrate your holiday, that's fine but don't try and come into my world and into my home and into my FAVORITE holiday and ruin it not just for me but for everyone around you because you didn't hear the greeting that you wanted to hear." I am not trying to be snarky here, but you really have this backwards. While (as I mentioned early) that I find Christmas decorations to be very pleasant, it still holds true that if any holiday is being "shoved down" anybody's throat, it's Christmas. How many stores do you go to where there are Eid Al-Fitr decorations? How often do you hear Diwali music everywhere you go for at least a month? Do you ever know when it's Sukkot or Tisha B'av? The answer is probably no, even though these are very important holidays to Muslims, Hindus and Jews. Christmas, on the other hand, is something that comes into all of our worlds. Just imagine: If I were to try and avoid all businesses that promote Christmas, I would not be able to go out and buy groceries, use public transportation, fill up on gas, or really anything else. Unlike the holidays of other religions, Christmas is largely unavoidable. Okay, so now let's break this down. You wrote: "People are trying to be nice and wish you good will." I do believe this is very true. Christmas often inspires the good in people and I like that. But there's a flip side to this. When somebody wishes me a "Merry Christmas" and I very sweetly reply "Oh thank you but I'm Jewish, I don't celebrate Christmas" it really seems to make people feel uncomfortable. Here they are, trying to be kind, and now suddenly they feel super embarrassed. It's kind of like having a situation where one person says "Say hi to your Mom for me!" and the other person replies "Oh...well, she died six months ago." Even though I'm being sweet about the mistake, it's still very uncomfortable for everybody involved, and I really hate making people who were trying to be nice feel bad. So, you might think the best solution is to just say "thank you" and move on. But, unfortunately, that is not a possibility. Why? Because by saying "thank you" I would be pretending that I DO celebrate Christmas. And if I pretend that I have Christmas, then I'm denying the fact that I'm Jewish. And I'm just not OK with that. I am very proud of my heritage, and I don't want to hide it. Look at it this way: The way you feel about loving Christmas is the way I feel about being Jewish and I don't want to pretend not be myself, even it makes somebody feel better. And really, in a country like America, nobody should ever have to lie or pretend about who they are. So how do you avoid awkwardness or forcing people to deny their heritage/religion? Well, doesn't it just make more sense to only say "Merry Christmas" to people who you KNOW celebrate Christmas, and just be more vague with strangers? Wouldn't it show the most kindness and good will to do something that makes everybody feel included and comfortable? I'm not saying don't celebrate Christmas: Celebrate it to the hilt! Deck the halls! Light the lights! And by all means, wish everybody who you know celebrates Christmas an amazing one. Just don't assume that everybody is like you. This is a very diverse nation. We are Christian. We are Jewish. We are Hindu. We are Muslim. We are Sufi. We are Shinto. We are Sikh. We are Pagan. We are Atheist. We are many many things that I haven't listed. And that's great. We should be proud of that fact, and we should acknowledge it in our everyday lives. So Merry Christmas if to those who have it. And Seasons Greetings, Happy Holidays, or plain old Have a Nice Day to those who don't.